The present invention relates to a device for electrically contacting respective contacts of an electronic apparatus with an electronic card, especially an IC-memory card, that has contacting poles along one side, whereby a housing is arranged at the electronic apparatus. The electronic card with the side that has the contacting poles and is facing the housing is inserted into the housing via an insertion opening. The housing is provided with contact elements that correspond to the contacting poles of the electronic card. The contacting poles of the electronic card, after insertion of the card into the housing, are in contact with the contact elements. The housing is also provided with a spring-type ejecting means for ejecting the electronic card that is arrested in the housing.
In the office and data technology and in the computer area, so called IC-memory cards are employed. Specific data are saved on those electronic cards which may be processed via a compatible computer system. For this purpose, the IC-memory card is connected to the computer system in order to permit a respective data transfer.
For this data transfer the IC-memory card is provided with a plurality of contacting poles that are arranged along one of its sides.
A device for electrically contacting an IC-memory card with the respective contacts of a computer system according to the aforementioned kind is known from DE-OS 37 17 684, whereby the IC-memory card serves as an external memory. The contacting device has a housing into which the card, with the contacting poles at the leading edge, is inserted. On the side of the housing opposite the insertion opening, contact elements in the form of contact springs are arranged which correspond to the contacting poles of the card. After insertion of the card the contacting poles contact the contact elements or contact springs. For the insertion of the card into the housing a spring-loaded slide is arranged in that housing whereby the card to be contacted is first inserted into the slide and then the slide together with the card is moved into the direction of the contact elements against the force of a spring. Close to the contacting position, the face of the slide then pivots a lever, which in return pivots the contact springs that are arranged on that lever into a contacting position with the contacting poles of the card.
With this known contacting device it is disadvantageous that the construction is rather complicated requiring a plurality of springs, levers, electromagnets, sensors etc. This known contacting device is thus very susceptible to breakdowns, for example, when mechanical parts after a certain service life become worn. Also, the card is only loosely inserted into the housing so that the card may slide out of the housing thus interrupting the contact between card and the computer system. This results in interruption of the data transfer. The known device lacks an effective fixation of the card to be contacted inside the housing.
From DE-GM 86 05 522 an arresting/releasing device for a card reader is known. The housing is again provided with a slide for receiving the card to be contacted whereby the slide must be inserted against the force of a spring into a stationary housing. For the fixation of the card that is inserted into the housing via the slide, a pivotable arresting member having knife-like blades is arranged in the area of the insertion opening of the housing. This known contacting device is also of a fairly complicated design since a slide is used to introduce the card to be contacted into the housing. Also, the arresting member with its knife-like blades is provided as a component separate from the housing thereby rendering the design of the device rather complicated.
An arresting/releasing device for a card reader is known from DE-OS 35 18 247 in which the card is introduced into the card reader via an insertion slot. In order to arrest the card and in order to prevent the user from removing the card during the reading operation, an arresting member having a hook is provided. In a resting position, the hook protrudes into the insertion slot thus partially blocking the entrance. The hook of the arresting member catches the card upon completed insertion. The hook is removed from its blocking position in the insertion slot via a key that acts on a lever device engaging the arresting means. This arresting/releasing device for a card reader is also of a rather complicated construction.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for electrically contacting respective contacts of an electronic apparatus with an electronic card, especially an IC-memory card, of the aforementioned kind which prevents a sliding of the inserted card from the housing and also simplifies the constructive design of the contacting device.